SheRa: It's A Wonderful Fight
by Glimmer aka Mandy
Summary: A classic story with an Etherian Twist!


It's a Wonderful Fight . . 

It was a peaceful night in the Whispering Woods. Adora bent down to look into the Crystal Stream's dark blue waters. Carried by the wind the sounds from a large party could be heard in the distance. Stars reflected in the rippling stream creating a dazzling array of sparkling lights on the surface. A tear fell from Adora's eye as she bent closer causing the image to be scattered. Finally after a few moments of silence, Adora raised her head and looked toward the sky. 

"Why?" She shook her head. "I have been She-ra for so long now, and nothing has changed. Nothing!" In despair Adora held her head in her hands and cried. 

"Adora?" Turning Adora saw her dear friend and companion Spirit coming toward the stream. "Is anything the matter?" He asked in his cultured tones. 

"No." Adora turned back to watch the stars sparkle in the stream. 

"When you left the celebration. I began to worry. Tonight is not a night to be feeling dreary. We have won a great battle! The Kingdom of Brightmoon has been freed! Queen Angella has a throne once more!" Spirit stomped his hooves in delight. 

"And has that stopped the Horde from sending more and more captured Rebels to the slave mines? Has She-ra saving Brightmoon done anything? Has this seen the end of tyranny? Has Hordak been banished? Is his evil finally gone? What has She-ra really done? Nothing!" Adora let the tears fall now. She rocked on her feet for a while then dropped to her knees beseeching Spirit. "What good has She-ra really done?" 

"Adora. Adora." Spirit approached his downhearted friend slowly. "Adora, She-ra has done so much good. She has found a brother for Adora and a family for a child whose only family was a long dead nurse and an evil lord. She-ra has given the people the courage to fight back against the iron fist that crushed them." Quietly Spirit bowed his head, "and she has given me back my Unicorn birthright, of which I will be eternally grateful." 

"Oh Spirit. Anyone could have done that. She-ra isn't needed. She hasn't done anything, but confuse me and bring a false hope to the people." 

Adora took a deep breath, "Do you think Hordak is going to give up? He will come back to Brightmoon and crush us and my brother won't be around to help. Oh I wish I never was born! Then the people of Etheria wouldn't be dying because they support a hopeless cause." She slumped backward and hugged her knees to her chest rocking. 

"Adora you don't mean that! She-ra has done so much good and Adora has brought so much help to the Rebellion! You have been a great friend to me and a good daughter and sister to your newfound family! How can you say the you wish you had never been born?" Spirit spoke strongly and when Adora didn't respond he walked back to camp upset that he couldn't talk any sense into her stubborn head. 

"I wish I had never been born." Adora whispered sadly to the wind. 

***

"Did you find her, Spirit?" Kowl flew straight to Sprit's side the moment he cantered back into camp. 

"Yes, but I think she needs to be left alone. She is worried that She-ra has done nothing but bring death to the people of Etheria." 

"Rubbish! She-ra is the people's champion. How can she say that?" Kowl began to fly off to find Adora and talk to her himself. 

Spirit stopped him, "Kowl, don't. I think that everything has been very overwhelming for her lately. I mean, with the continuing battles the last few months, she hasn't had time to realize that she has great powers, a brother and a whole new family on another planet. That is a lot to handle. Just let her think this one through on her own. Come on let's join in the celebration." 

Kowl still looked uncertain, but nodding he followed Sprit into the throng of partygoers. 

***

Adora felt a cold wind brush past her. _I wish I had never been born. _The wind whistled about her. _I wish I had never been born_. The wind taunted . . ._never been born _. . . 

"Stop it!" Adora stood up and angrily swatted at the cold wind. _. . .has done no good. Nothing! Never been born. . .never. . ._

Adora whirled around, she was sure there was someone standing behind her. "Who is there?" She called to the darkness. Scanning the edge of the forest she came up with nothing. She was alone. 

Suddenly she was aware that the stars had disappeared from the sky and a mist had enveloped her and the surrounding trees. Then she heard the sound of hooves coming toward her, but she couldn't see anything through the mist. The clip clopping of a running horse approached faster and faster toward her. Within a few moments she could just make out the outline of a magnificent horse coming up the path. The horse was lathered with sweat and running as fast as its legs could carry it. 

"Stop." Adora held up her hands to shield herself from the collision she was sure would come as the out of control horse pounded right straight for her. It never did. The horse kept going right on through her. It was as if she had never even been in its path. She turned to watch it gallop into the mist. 

Something odd about the horse caused her to think harder of what she had witnessed, but before she could come up with any concrete conclusions she heard another sound. This one more terrifying than the first. A Horde flyer! Adora ducked down among some bushes hoping the Hordesmen wouldn't notice her. 

"It went this way!" A metallic voice rang out in anticipation. "We almost have it!" 

Another voice responded, "That unicorn has given us the slip one too many times!" 

"I think that it followed the stream. Look at the hoof prints along the bank. Let's go!" The next thing Adora heard was the sound of flyers screaming off into the forest. 

Adora sighed with relief that she had remained undetected. "A unicorn hmmm, that is what seemed different about that horse." Adora commented to herself. She stood up and brushed herself off. 

"I had better return to camp. Maybe we can save that unicorn from those Hordesmen. I am sure Swifty would like a new friend to talk to." 

Forgetting for a time her self-doubt Adora jogged up the path toward the camp. When she had reached the outskirts of the camp she was appalled to find that there were no guards posted in the lookout areas. "Well I guess it is a party, we are allowed one mistake." She knew though that she would have a talking to the people who were supposed to be there right now. 

Then it hit her. There was no noise! She hadn't noticed until now, but the only sounds that met her ears was that of the wind passing through the trees. No happy partygoers, no singing or revelry. It was dead silent. 

"What is going on?" Adora ran faster and passed through the last line of trees to the grove where the camp was stationed. A horrible sight met her eyes. Where there had once been a Rebel base camp was now a charred decaying ruins. 

Adora scanned the scene before her. She saw the remains of the stables and of many individual tents that had held families hiding from the Horde. Among the ruins too she saw the blackened remains of several people--her people! How dare Hordak do this! She stomped her foot in anger and clenched her fists forcing back tears. She had to find Bow and Glimmer, they would tell her what had happened. Surly they escaped this carnage? 

Adora walked among the ruins in despair. Pain welled up inside her and choked her. She fell to the ground gasping, "Why?" For several moments Adora laid on the blood soaked ground, finally in terror and anger she got up and ran from the sight crashing blindly into an unyielding tree. With a sigh she crumpled to the ground. The last thing Adora saw before the world went black was Glimmer's staff held onto by a burned and bleeding hand . . . 

***

"Come on dearie. Wake up. Oh dearieme please wake up." Adora woke to the kind ministrations of a motherly hand. She looked up into the worried eyes of Madam Razz. 

"Madam Razz! Madam Razz! Oh I am so happy to see you! What happened to the base? Where are we?" Adora stood up in a rush and hugged the startled witch. 

"Dearie, I am not sure what you are talking about. I am called Razzle and this is the Horde dungeon. I fear we are going to be here a very long time." Razzle shook her head in dismay. 

"What do you mean? The last thing that I remember is that I was looking for Bow and Glimmer. . .Glimmer! Oh my, my dear, dear friend what has happened?" Adora sat down in shock. 

"Do you mean Bow of Shanlee and Princess Glimmer of Brightmoon?" Razzle softly asked. 

"Yes! Do you know them? What happened to them?" 

"You mean you don't know about the uprising?" When Adora shook her head Razzle continued, "Princess Glimmer and this renegade Bow of Shanlee held a huge uprising against the Horde. They did pretty good for a while, but soon they were discovered and Hordak put an end to them forever, if you know what I mean." 

"Oh no . . . oh no, no, no." Adora held her head in her hands. She wanted to cry and scream and smash things all at the same time. 

"Why?" She screamed. "Why!" 

The sound of the prison hatch opening brought Adora back to her immediate surroundings. A huge Horde trooper climbed into the small chamber and indicated for Adora to follow him. "Come on. Your next." 

"What do you want with me? Where are you taking me?" Adora tried to struggle but the powerful grip the trooper had exacted on her arm left little doubt to who was stronger. 

"Good luck dearie! Don't show any weakness. Lord Hordak hates weakness!" Under her breath Razzle whispered sadly, "Good bye!" 

Adora was dragged down the winding gray hallways that were once so familiar to her. She knew where she was being brought. The Throne Room. Many times she had witnessed Hordak dishing out what he felt was justice--_his_ justice. 

She shivered. Most of the people brought before him were lucky. The majority of the "lucky" ones were imprisoned on Beast Island with little hope of survival. Those that Hordak felt were more of a threat to him though, were stripped of every memory they had ever had. Stripped of their personalities and made to serve the Horde. Much in the same manner Shadow Weaver had controlled Adora. Adora closed her eyes and walked to her doom. 

***

When her entourage finally reached the Throne Room she was astonished to see Spirit standing shackled in front of the dais. When she attempted to call out to him the Horde trooper silenced her with a quick tug on her own chains. 

Then she heard an evil voice. A voice that brought shivers cascading down her spine, "Swift Wind, King of the Unicorns. You have been stripped of your unicorn birthright and are now property of the Horde. Unless you pledge your allegiance to me, Hordak you will be forever banished to Beast Island!" Hordak laughed maniacally. 

Swift Wind shook his shackles in defiance, "Never Hordak. Never! My allegiance is to the powers of Good! I will **never** serve you!" 

"I thought that would be your answer! Off to the transport with you! Next stop--Beast Island!" Hordak laughed his mechanical, evil laugh. 

After Swift Wind had been taken away, Hordak sat in his throne and gestured to Shadow Weaver to come to him. "You know that unicorn has been so much trouble, but he does make a fine horse. It saddens me that I couldn't have put him to good use. The captain of the guard is always going through horses maybe I should have given Swift Wind to him. He could break that spirit of his. Maybe I still shall. . ." Hordak rubbed his chin in thought. 

"Ahhh." Wheezed Shadow Weaver. "Captain Skeletor would have indeed enjoyed a chance to break the King of the Unicorn's spirit." They both laughed at the possibility and the halls echoed with their cruelty. 

Adora cringed. Skeletor was captain of the guard! What else had changed in the hellish world she found herself? 

"Next." Hordak's voice rang out in the large chamber. Adora found herself being prodded to the bottom of the dais and made to kneel with her head bowed. 

"What have we here?" Hordak leaned forward in his throne. 

"We found this one snooping around the remains of the uprising's base camp." The Horde Trooper responded. 

"A supporter, hmmm. Or simply curious?" Hordak grinned and slipped down from his throne coming down a few steps to take a closer look. "You don't look like the normal peasant. Where are you from, girl." It was not a question; it was a command. When the only answer she gave him was a cold stare, Hordak came more quickly down the rest of the stairs and raised a hand to strike her. 

Hordak had expected her to cringe away from his hand, but instead she simply smiled. He stopped in surprise but quickly regained his composure. "Well we have quite a spitfire here, now don't we." A silence had come over the group of people assembled in the giant chamber, no one moved least Hordak's obvious displeasure descend upon them. 

Suddenly Hordak laughed. The rest of the people didn't know what think so they laughed with him. He turned as if to walk up the dais again, but with blinding speed turned back to Adora and hit her as hard as he could. 

Or he would have, but Adora dodged the blow and brought her knee to Hordak's stomach. He coughed and fell gasping on the floor. Adora never stopped smiling. The crowd grew quiet once again. 

"Hold her." Shadow Weaver floated down to stand in front of Adora. Adora took her eyes off of the panting Hordak and looked into Shadow Weaver's yellow eyes. It was too late when she realized her mistake. She could no longer mover her limbs or speak! 

Adora tried to scream as Hordak came toward her . . . 

***

Adora woke up stiffly. "Oh my. What happened?" No one answered and for a few moments all she could hear was the ringing in her ears. Then she noticed another sound. It sounded like a transport taking off! She tried to rise, but the pounding that that caused in her head forced her to lay prone on the floor. 

"Where am I going?" Adora asked again in despair. 

__

You are on a transport to Beast Island, I am afraid. You didn't leave a very good impression of yourself with Hordak. 

"Who are you? What do you want?" Adora strained her eyes to see where the voice came from, but she could see no one. 

__

I am the Sorcerer of Castle Greyskull. 

"The Sorcerer is dead." She answered confused. 

The voice chuckled, _That is true. I am many years dead, but I was called back to help you._

"Help me? What do you mean?" Adora was able to slowly sit up and look around; still she could see no one. 

__

Do you realize what you have gone through? This is an Etheria without She-ra, without Adora. Swift Wind had no Adora to be given to so he was forever banished. The Rebels didn't have She-ra to help save Brightmoon so they were destroyed. 

"Glimmer . . ." Adora felt pain well up inside her choking her. They sat in silence for a while when an idea came to Adora and in defiance to all she had witnessed said, "Well if there is no She-ra then my brother Adam could have been sent to help." 

__

Adora because you were never born neither was your twin _brother._

"You mean . . ." Adora trailed off staring off in thought. 

__

Yes Adora, there was never any He-man to save Eternia. Your parents were killed in the first battles. Hordak and Skeletor have ruled from Greyskull ever since. Hordak rules both worlds and keeps the Sorceress a prisoner to hold the portal between both worlds open for him all the time. 

"Oh my what have I done! What can I do?" Adora pleaded to the Sorcerer. 

__

We had to show you this Adora. You were doubting the good that you had created as She-ra. And you were doubting many of the reason's you Adora, were chosen to be She-ra, the Princess of Power. 

"Yes I am, still. What good have I really done? People are dying because they chose to follow me into battle. Hordak will never change and we will never gather the strength to banish him. Things will never get better." 

__

Oh but they already have! Do you remember the look on Glimmer's face when she hugged her mother after She-ra had rescued her from the Horde? Do you remember how wonderful it felt to sit down to dinner with your true family? Adora, your mother and father hurt so much after losing you that your return has brought them so much joy! 

__

She-ra has become the champion of the people. They don't follow you to their deaths they follow you to their freedom! You have given the people the strength to defy darkness and a chance for goodness to shine through. 

Be proud of yourself Adora! The Soceress and I are very proud that you are fulfilling your destiny well . . .good bye and good luck . . . 

"No don't go! Please I need to go back home!" But the only thing Adora heard was silence. Soon she could no longer keep her eyes open and fell asleep exhausted on the floor. 

***

"Adora?" Turning Adora saw her dear friend and companion Spirit coming toward the stream. "Is anything the matter?" He asked in his cultured tones. 

"No." Adora said and this time she meant it. 

"Let's go back to the party then!" Spirit stomped his hooves in delight. 

Adora gave him a big hug, "Yes let's! I have much to celebrate!"   


The End


End file.
